Cultivator



(No Model.)

I. w. KIRKBRIDE. GULTIVATOR.

No. 401,178. Patented Apr. 9, 1889..

Wil a/macaw, amen M501;

N. PETERS. mwuhu n mr. Walhingcn. OJ;

the rear end with divergent arms c,which are UNITED STATES ATENT Unmet,

FRANK IVIIJSON KIRKBRIDE, OF STRATTON, NEBRASKA.

CU LTIVATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 401,178, dated April 9,1889.

Application filed August 28, 1888.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK WILsoN KIRK- BRIDE,of Stratton, in the countyof Hitchcock and State of Nebraska, have invented certain Improvementsin Cultivators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an implement intended more particularly for thecultivation of what is known as listed cornthat is, corn planted in thebottom of. a trench or furrow.

My machine consists, essentially, of a frame provided withsupporting-muners, longitudinal blades to enter the soil and preventlateral motion, and oblique blades or scrapers of great length adaptedto destroy the weeds and to properly direct the surface soil inward oroutward, as required.

The invention consists in various features of construction relating tothe main frame, the reversible or adj ustable blades, and other parts,as hereinafter recited in detail.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of mymachine. Fig. 2 is a vertical crosssection of the same on the line a:

Referring to the drawings, A A repzeient two parallel runners located ata suflicient distance apart to admit of their passing on opposite sidesof the growing plants. Each of these runners is provided near oppositeends with two rigid-upright arms, a a, which are secured by clip-bolts aor equivalent fastening devices to connecting-bars B. There are two ofthese bars, one at each end of the machine, each of an arched form, or,in other words, of a n form, with their lower ends turned outward inopposite directions and provided each with a series of verticalperforations, Z).

A draft pole or tongue, 0, is provided at hooked through the outreachingarms of the front bar B. A. long plank, D, serving as aseat for thedriver, is bolted to the elevated portion of the bars B B. It assists ingiving rigidity to the structure, while at the same time it admits ofthe driver shifting his position forward or backward, in order that hisweight may be applied in the front or rear end of the machine, accordingto the depth to which the soil is to be cultivated, the char- Serial No.283,980- (No model.)

acter of the soil, and other controlling circumstances.

E E are two divergent blades, runners, or scrapers, formed ofsheet-steel or other equiv-' alent material, and usually of a length offour feet, (more or less.) These blades are curved in cross-section andbrought to a sharp cutting-edge at the lower side. Each blade isprovided near opposite ends with ears 6, extending horizontally from theupper edge to receive vertical fastening-bolts e, by which they arefirmly attached to the outreaching ends of the cross-bars B. When thesoil is to be thrown away from the plants, the blades or scrapers arearranged, as shown in Fig. 1,

with their forward ends near the runners and their rear ends divergingtherefrom. The angle of divergence may be varied at will by changing thebolts c to the different holes. WVhen the soil is to be thrown inwardtoward the plants, the two blades are transposed, so as to present theircutting-edges inward, and" so, also, that they converge toward the rearends, as plainly indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. Thisadaptability of the blades for transposal that they may act with anoutward or with an inward cutting action, as required, is an import antfeature of my machine. The runners travel on the surface of the groundand control the depth to which the blades or scrapers pass below thesurface. The clipbolts a admit of the runners being raised and loweredin relation to the cross-bars and cutters to vary the depth. ofcultivation.

In orderto prevent the machine from shifting laterally out of positionin consequence of the unequal resistance which is from time to timeoffered to the cutting blades or scrapers, I provide the runners a withlongitudinal blades or cutters G, which, entering the soil, afford astrong resistance to the lateral movement of the machine. These bladesare provided, as shown, with vertical slots g,a11d secured to therunners by bolts g, passing therethrough. This permits their adjustmentto compensate for wear or for other purposes.

In order to protect the young plants from clods which might otherwiseroll inward thereon,I provide each runner at the rear end with aninwardly-curved arm, K, secured thereto by a pivot, 70, and a bolt, 76',passing through a vertical slot, in order that the rear end of the armsmay be raised or lowered in relation to the runner, as required. \Vhenthe machine is operated to throw the soil toward the plants, these armsare removed or turned upward out of action.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim is 1. In a cultivator,the two runners and the long divergent blades or scrapers locatedoutside of the respective runners, in combination with the blades G,secured to and extending below the runners to prevent lateral movementof the machine.

2. In a cultivator, the arched cross-bars 13, having theoutwardly-tilrned ends, the run- 11ers secured to said bars andadjustable vertically in relation thereto, and the oblique scraperssecured to the ends of the cross-bars, as shown.

3. The arched cross-bars with the outwardlyturned ends and the obliquescrapers rigidly scribed,whereby they may be caused to throw the earthinward or outward, as occasion may require. Y

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 11th day of August,1888, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

FRANK \VILSON KIRKBRIDE.

Witnesses:

MILTON W. NESMITH, S. P. KIRKBRIDE.

